64-bit Final Cut Pro X now in Mac App Store, reaction is mixed

Apple has released major updates to Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Compressor for …

Apple first made public mention of the major overhaul to its Final Cut Pro editing software in April, and on Tuesday, the company announced immediate availability of Final Cut Pro X via the Mac App Store. With full 64-bit, multi-core support and performance, along with a radical new editing timeline, Final Cut Pro X charts a bold new direction for editing. However, not all video editors will be on board with the changes.

A major improvement to Final Cut Pro X, along with its companion Motion 5 and Compressor 4 apps, is a complete rewrite to take advantage of all the power of modern Macs and Mac OS X. This includes across-the-board 64-bit support, OpenCL and Grand Central Dispatch support, and full ColorSync managed, 4K resolution-independent workflow. It brings major performance improvements, including background processing of rendering, effects, and imports, as well as the ability to fully utilize all CPU and GPU resources in any given machine.

That power comes along with a major change in the user interface, though. Borrowing ideas from the latest versions of iMovie, FCPX now sports a new "Magnetic Timeline." Clips can be easily inserted and rearranged as needed, without worrying about audio sync and other issues. Clips can also be linked with alternate views and takes, audio, and other effects to create a Compound Clip. These grouped clips can also be re-arranged at will without concern for sync or other issues. Supplementing the Magnetic Timeline is a context-sensitive Precision Editor for making fine-grained cuts and trims.

While experienced video editors might find the changes jarring at first, the new timeline promises improved editing speed. "I use the analogy of a bike versus a motorcycle," Larry Jordan, an editor who specializes in Final Cut Pro training, told Ars. "Both have handlebars and two wheels, but there is a whole lot of different in function and performance. The magnetic timeline is amazing, and the precision editor provides a trimming view we've never seen before," he said.

FCPX also includes new features for importing, managing, and using clips. When importing, the content is automatically analyzed for shot angles, faces, and the number of people in shots. This data is then used to organize clips into Smart Groups such as "wide" or "close-up" shots, or the program can show you all the clips with a particular person in them. Additional tagging options make it easy to organize clips and find them quickly while deep in the editing process.

"Final Cut Pro X is the biggest advance in Pro video editing since the original Final Cut Pro," Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, Phil Schiller, said in a statement. "We have shown it to many of the world's best Pro editors, and their jaws have dropped."

Their jaws may have dropped, but that doesn't mean all editors will welcome the changes with open arms. The radical changes in the timeline will represent a steep learning curve for those accustomed to traditional non-linear editing.

"I think it is a bold move—I can't think of any other company that could pull it off," said Jordan, who had access to early betas of the software for the last few months. "However, I think it is also very polarizing. Dyed-in-the-wool editors are going to be very unhappy."

But Final Cut Pro X includes so many improvements, according to Jordan, that it will be worthwhile for editors to buy the software and start learning the new interface. "My key point is that each editor has different needs, and Final Cut Pro X is a tool to help meet those needs," he said. "If it works for you and your media and your workflow, upgrade. If not, then wait a bit. The world will not end if you continue editing on FCP 7 for a while longer!"

Final Cut Pro X includes built-in color grading tools.

Even with the improved editing and performance, though, there will be some pain. Long-time Final Cut Pro users will quickly note that major applications included in the previous Final Cut Studio, including Color, Soundtrack Pro, and DVD Studio Pro are no longer available. Final Cut Pro X includes vastly improved audio and color editing, which spokesperson Colin Smith suggested supersede the need for separate Soundtrack Pro and Color applications. And from Apple's point of view, DVD Studio Pro is a vestigial appendage that is no longer necessary in the era of streaming online video.

Jordan doesn't entirely agree with Apple's assessment of the industry, though. The new color editing and grading tools, including what Jordan calls "power windows," may replace Color for most users. But, while the built-in audio editing, processing, and effects are top notch, Final Cut Pro X just isn't capable of multi-track audio recording. Also, Jordan said, "the inability to apply effects, volume, and pan settings to a track is a huge omission."

And while Final Cut Pro—along with Compressor 4—excels at delivering video for distribution via the Web, the industry still relies on discs for delivery and sales. "Apple is fixated on downloads," Jordan told Ars. "However, the world of media is using DVDs and Blu-ray to make money. I am personally very disappointed that Apple did not continue DVD Studio Pro."

For users who still need to deliver projects on disc, they will have to use the existing version of DVD Studio Pro or consider Adobe Encore.

Most vexing for some pro users, however, is the lack of tape control for import and export. While Final Cut Pro X has some capacity to import from tape, there is no ability to control output to tape. Final Cut Pro X is largely built on the assumption that footage is captured digitally and output directly to some digital form. Editors that work in the broadcasting industry in particular, where tape is still regularly used, may not be able to work with these limitations. Again, the ability to install FCPX while still holding on to and using FCP7 will be advantageous here.

Putting aside the technical issues, though, Jordan offers editors one last bit of advice. "Don't lose sight of the fact that we are not in the software business," he said. "We are in the story-telling business."